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Nathan Carlson
"Death saw something special in me. He sent me back to you all here, now…and now we will carry His message. We will make the fearless fear…for there is nothing to fear but the Fear itself,” - 'The Crow to the Fear, after the SNG's declaration of war' Nathan Carlson, most commonly referred to as The Crow 'and formerly called ''California, is a main character and a former antagonist first encountered in Season 24 and returning as a minor, reformed character in the [[The 'New Age' Extension|'New Age' Extension]]. Until Season 27'', the Crow's real name and origins were unknown, until his name was revealed to be Nathan Carlson, formerly known as 'California' and the last surviving member of the Chester Woods Bandits. He was revealed to be the true leader of The Fear and serves as the primary antagonist of Season 24 ''onwards until his defeat in ''Season 27. He continues to serve as a secondary antagonist until ''Season 33 ''when he saved Edwards from the tyrannic President Eden, switching sides to fight in the New Graystone Military. As the Crow, Carlson waged a bloody and brutal war with the State of New Graystone, determined to take revenge against Edwards for the deaths of the Chester Woods Bandits. After becoming a prisoner, he reforms and regains a semblance of mental stability. In order to prove himself to the Veteran once and for all, he returns to Heron Street and, whilst crying and laughing at the same time, wipes out the very cult he created. After accepting a job as a farmhand on Veteran Ranch, Carlson worked away his old identity and eventually became the head of the Edwards house, caring for the family. In his elderly years, Carlson continued serving Edwards despite being riddled with tremors, nothing like the monster he once was. Overview The Crow, real name Nathan Carlson, is a tall, thin and terrifying man with a twisted outlook on the world. During his time as the leader of the Fear, Carlson was usually seen wearing a full black outfit, including a heavy overcoat and black gloves. Over his face, he wore a black mask with red lenses - forged from the shattered fragments of the mask of death - to hide his identity. He wore this outfit to hide his full-body burns, although his face was preserved. Personality The cold and psychotic leader of the Fear, the Crow is a remorseless lunatic who strips people of their fear in order to "make them stronger,", believing a species without fear will be able to evolve. He takes people and subjects them to their fears for extended periods to cleanse them. For example, after he met Berto - who was suffering from monophobia - the Crow locked him in a soundproof room alone for six months, destroying Berto's mental state and causing him to tear most of the skin from his face. The Crow is shown to be a cunning, cruel and savage man who is a strong leader to those in his group, who ]] follow him as if he is some sort of Messiah. He appears to take great pride in his leadership abilities and seems to enjoy the position of power. He seems to have a potent understanding of psychology, both academically and when it comes to his leadership and the taunting of his foes. He seems to be completely detached from people and is cruel and ruthless, as shown when he led a large herd to the Capital, leading to the death of many innocents. He demands loyalty and obedience from everyone who follows him, even killing two members of his group who try to help him in his fight with Lawrence Carter. However, Carlson is later shown to be highly emotionally unstable, especially when his fear of fire is exposed to the Fear by Edwards. This leads him on a warpath, sacrificing many of his own people in order to secure a victory. After his defeat and imprisonment, Carlson seems to show signs of improvement, which is again tarnished when he sides with Antony Eden, reverting to his old self. However, it is later revealed he has switched his loyalty to Edwards, leading to him locating and wiping out the remains of the Fear. Pre-Apocalypse Little is known about Carlson's life before the outbreak; his Chester Woods Bandit nickname - 'California' - may indicate he is originally from the eponymous state, but this has not been confirmed. Post-Apocalypse When Nathan Carlson was just eight, all of the adults in the world died and came back as the undead, feasting on anything they found, including the surviving children. He somehow found his way to a department store, joining the group called the Chester Woods Bandits, taking the name 'California'. Season 1 'Friend Or Foe' 'California' is briefly sighted by Edwards during the attack on the bandit camp. It is later revealed that he was taken, alongside the dead bodies of his fellow bandits, to the Mitchell Family's barn. He is trapped inside when Edwards and Aaron set fire to the barn to cremate the bodies inside. California is subsequently seriously injured in the blaze. Season 24 Killed Victims Relationships The Lady The Lady is one of the Crow's ward; how he encountered her is unknown, but after taking her under his wing he subjected her to various tortures. Berto ''"He showed me the true way to live," ''- '''Berto on his loyalty to the Crow Harry Edwards "Your grandchildren are gifted, Veteran...thanks to you, they will not lose their way. I know it," ''- '''Carlson to Edwards, consoling him about his grandchildren' Trivia * The Crow is the favourite villain of the EDStudios writing team. * The Crow has severe pyrophobia - a fear of fire. ** This resulted from him being trapped and burned within the Mitchell Family's barn, which the Clarkson Survivors set on fire without realizing that he was alive. * He is the first primary antagonist to become an ally of a protagonist.